


Strange Bedfellows

by Whogirl42



Series: Theresa Lives AUs [2]
Category: Westworld (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Elsie has come to very wrong theories to what's going on, Elsie is a delight I'm keeping her, Gen, One Shot, POV Elsie, Theresa lives, but given what she knows at this point can anyone blame her, might continue this into season 2 at some point we'll see, set late season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29242242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whogirl42/pseuds/Whogirl42
Summary: Elsie thought she was hallucinating at first. Or still dreaming. Because when she fell asleep she was as alone in this fucking cave as she'd been two days ago after her maniac boss choked her out and left her chained here. She definitely didn't have company. And that companydefinitelywasn't the bitch that had her trapped here in the first place, chained up beside her, no less."So who fuckedyouover?"
Relationships: Theresa Cullen & Elsie Hughes, Theresa Cullen/Bernard Lowe (mentioned)
Series: Theresa Lives AUs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059365
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	Strange Bedfellows

Elsie thought she was hallucinating at first. Or still dreaming. Because when she fell asleep she was as alone in this fucking cave as she'd been two days ago after her maniac boss choked her out and left her chained here. She definitely didn't have company. And that company _definitely_ wasn't the bitch that had her trapped here in the first place, chained up beside her, no less. 

"So who fucked _you_ over?" 

Theresa Cullen continued sleeping- Elsie had checked her pulse because she wasn't a monster- which was probably for the best because once Theresa woke up she'd likely be in for a world of pain. 

"Jesus Theresa," Elsie muttered, taking in the surplus of injuries. An ugly gorge bled out from the back of her head, running down her neck and staining her skin, hair and her once-white shirt red. Blue and purple bruises covered her wrists as if someone had grabbed her as she struggled. The image flashed through Elsie's head- calm, composed, ice queen bitch Theresa Cullen crying out, desperately fending off her attacker. Elsie tried to imagine Bernard being said attacker, and even though he was the one who trapped her here, she couldn't see it. 

_She hadn't seen him doing_ this _to_ her _either, but here she was._ Except, other than a minor headache, Elsie had woken up unharmed. No, whoever did this to Theresa wasn't Bernard. How big was this conspiracy? How high did it go? Who else was part of it? Stubbs? Ford? Lee? Would more Westworld employees join her here as time went on, people disposing of competition to climb the corrupt corporate ladder?

Elsie had so many questions. 

Luckily, the woman who might answer them had begun moving. Theresa moaned, eyes blearily taking in her surroundings before shooting wide open. Furious shakes went through her, her breaths quick and shallow, and yet she still tried to stand. Infinitely bullheaded as always.

Elsie caught her before she collapsed to the floor. "Whoa, fuck. You're not looking too good."

"Fuck off," Theresa rasped. 

Elsie gently lowered her to the floor. "Well, that is _not_ the attitude you should have to literally the only person who might be able to help you. Although... I'm not sure why I _would_... seeing as you headed corporate espionage and somehow got Bernard to help you remove me from the equation once you realised I was onto you."

"The fuck are you on about?"

"Oh, you know. The hosts acting up, the woodcutter beaming up classified information to a _Delos satellite_. I found everything. I told Bernard. Next thing I know he's choking me out and leaving me in this shithole with a few protein bars and a bucket. How _did_ you convince him to help you?"

Theresa paled further. Her hand covered her mouth and- oh good lord. Were those _sobs_? Was Theresa fucking Cullen, bad bitch boss of QA, actually crying in front of her right now? _Holy fuck._ The urge to comfort arose- Elsie could never resist a woman in distress, and that had caused her many problems in the past- but the rage that had been brewing inside her ever since she was chained up here could only be tempered so much. 

Finally, Theresa's sobs subsided. She glanced up at Elsie, pity and a good dose of condescension in her gaze. "Bernard's a fucking _host_. Ford's host."

That was-

Elsie's mind glitched, restarted, looped around itself and did the fucking macarena. Bernard was a host? But that wasn't-

That couldn't-

The actual fuck? 

Theresa let out a broken laugh. "Good to know I wasn't the only one fooled."

Elsie latched onto that response, discarding the endless _WhatTheFuckWhatTheFuckWhatTheFuck_ running through her mind to focus on Theresa. Elsie _was_ Behaviour, after all. And damn good at her job. Theresa's remarks, her expressions, the tones in her voice... She wasn't just shocked. She wasn't just confused, or even angry. _Her sobs._ In front of Elsie sat a woman full of grief and heartbreak. 

Links snapped in Elsie's mind: the way Bernard would smile indulgently even as Theresa scowled and made snide remarks; that one time Elsie caught him lighting her cigarette for her, how unusually comfortable Theresa had seemed at the proximity; the odd comment Stubbs once made after a drink too many that he'd immediately retracted and Elsie had disregarded as drunk rambling. 

"Holy shit. You're in love with him."

Theresa response was immediate and visceral. " _Excuse me?_ "

Yeah, that might have been more convincing if her tear tracks weren't still visible. "Bernard. You're in love with him. And he's-" Fuck. "He's a host." If looks could kill, Elsie would be vaporised a thousand times over already. "Fuck."

Elsie's legs slid down, her bum falling against the ground beside Theresa. 

"You wouldn't happen to have a lighter, would you?" 

Laughter burst from her. Same old Theresa. At least some things could be trusted in a world where formally-decent-bosses turned out to be pieces of code. 

They passed the cigarette between them a few times. 

Elsie mused she should probably do something about Theresa's head wound. Medical supplies had appeared along with the woman; if the idiots from Livestock could operate them, Elsie should manage to figure it out no problem. _After_. She took another draw of the cigarette. 

"I'm still not done with the whole corporate espionage thing. _And_ you need to fill me in on Ford and what the fuck happened to land you here with me in this shithole."

**Author's Note:**

> So no Bernard in this one, but I might continue it to involve Theresa when Elsie rejoins canon. We'll see. I had so much fun writing Elsie! And looking through my drafts I rediscovered another 4(!) Beresa wips in various degrees of completion, so hopefully I'll start cracking them out sooner rather than later. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought :D


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